Please note:  The Quicksilver Mining Museum is currently closed for historical renovation.    Free outreach programs are available to schools and community groups.  If you would like park staff to come to your school or organization with lessons and activities about our local mining history, please call (408) 323-1107.  We anticipate reopening the museum in the fall of 2010.

Welcome

Welcome to the Casa Grande and the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum of Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

How to Get There

The Casa Grande and the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum are located at 21350 Almaden Road. The Casa Grande is the impressive brick building with white picket fencing just past the Post Office. The Club Almaden sign is still up on the large redwood tree at the entrance.

From Highway 85 take the Almaden Expressway exit south 4.5 miles to Almaden Road. Turn right and proceed 2.5 miles west to the town of New Almaden. La Casa Grande will be on your left.

From Highway 880 take 101 south to 280 north (toward San Francisco). Exit 280 at Hwy. 87 (Guadalupe Parkway) south. Exit Hwy. 87 at Almaden Expressway south (to the right). Proceed about 8 miles to Almaden Road. Turn right and proceed 2.5 miles to the town of New Almaden.

Hours and Fees

The New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is open year round Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays except for major holidays. From September to June the hours are 12 noon - 4:00 pm on Fridays and 10:00 am - 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. In July and August the hours are 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. School tours are available Monday - Friday year-round by reservation. Guided tours are available by request for groups of 35 or less. Call (408) 323-1107 for reservations. No fees are required.

Accessibility

Most of the museum facilities meet those standards established by the Americans with Disabilities Act. For other specific information or special accommodations, contact the museum office.

History

Mining operations in New Almaden first began in 1845 under the claim of Mexican Cavalry Officer Captain Andres Castillero. Castillero discovered that the red rock used by the local Ohlone Indians to paint them and the walls of the Santa Clara Mission was cinnabar, an ore containing mercury. The valuable mercury was needed to process silver in Mexican silver mines.

American companies eventually acquired ownership of the mines, where operations continued under the management of Captain Henry Halleck. Halleck had the Casa Grande ("the big house") designed and built by architect Francis Meyers in 1854. The six acre grounds were later landscaped by John McLaren, designer of San Francisco''s Golden Gate Park. For decades this classic revival-style mansion served as the official residence and office for a succession of mine superintendents, and as a country weekend retreat for wealthy mine investors.

 The Casa Grande once boasted 27 rooms. The basement consisted of the kitchen, dumbwaiter, servant quarters, food storage and a large vault for depositing liquid mercury, also called "quicksilver." After the closing of mine operations, the Casa Grande had a succession of private owners and served a number of purposes, including a tourist resort and recreational facility known as Club Almaden.

In 1973, the Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation Department began purchasing the old mine properties. In 1985, the Department purchased a private collection of mining artifacts from Constance Perham, a resident of New Almaden. From 1949 to 1983, Mrs. Perham had displayed mining artifacts, memorabilia and photographs in her private "museum" in the historic village. The Parks Department leased the museum site from 1983 to 1998, and the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association volunteers maintained the collection and exhibits, as well as provided school and public tours about the history of New Almaden and the Quicksilver Mines.

In 1997, the Casa Grande once again was offered for sale, and the County Parks Department seized the opportunity to add the National Historic Site to Almaden Quicksilver County Park. The existing museum collection moved to the Casa Grande, where a new exhibit was erected by park staff and volunteers. The new museum and exhibits opened July 3, 1998. Both the museum and La Casa Grande were dedicated October 17 on a beautiful warm day with a large crowd of people bursting with community pride.

For a more complete history of the New Almaden Mines, go to the Almaden Quicksilver County Park webpage.

Activities

The museum presents visitors with an interesting array of exhibits about the history of mercury mining and the lifestyles of mining communities at New Almaden. A mine diorama duplicates the interior of a mine shaft, giving visitors a feel for working underground. Other exhibits explain the changing technology of how the liquid mercury was extracted from mined cinnabar ore. Artifacts from Cornish, Mexican and Chinese mining families depict the diversity of people that once lived and worked together on "the hill." Antique furniture adds authenticity to a formal mine manager''s office inside the Casa Grande, where extravagant dealings were negotiated with wealthy investors.

Museum visitors can search for items hidden in the exhibit and earn shares of Quicksilver Mining Company stock (carefully "forged" by volunteers), or walk the 1.6 mile self-guided tour through the historic town of New Almaden - a pleasant walk into the past even on a moist day.

Guided tours through the museum are provided to groups of 35 or less. Call the museum office at (408) 323-1107 for information and reservations.

Guided walking tours through historic New Almaden are offered by the New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association members. Contact the museum office for more information.

Also available on the grounds of the Casa Grande and the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is the A Catered Affair -- a catering service for corporate picnics, retreats, weddings and other special events. Call (408) 727-6480 for information about A Catered Affair.